*3.5 ( )

There comes a time when an author that someone esteems finally produces a work that is embarrassing to read. This book was ridiculous, boring, awful, and plan creepy! Compared to the Castles Ever After series, this was a huge step down for Tessa Dare. This was like the stereotypical romance books readers avoid because it's so stupid and pointless.

First of all, the heroine was a complete Mary Sue. Susanna happened to be good at everything: shooting, medicine, teaching, therapy, marketing, genealogy, agriculture, and, of course, mind-reading. I'm all for intelligent heroines, but this one was a reach. She was so perfect that she was insufferable and boring. I was bored reading about how she was so smart that she felt all alone and couldn't talk to anyone. Thank goodness for that mind-reading.

Bram was also a whiney little wimp. I wish he had gone back to the army with his bad knee so he could get blown up. Despite all of his determination to lead a militia, Susanna somehow reads his mind and decides he needs hugs and pets. Why? Who knows. Especially since he goes after her religiously for everything but hugs and pets.

I seem to be in the minority for not liking this book, but nothing will make me change my mind. The pacing was everywhere. The dialogue was patronizing and stilted. The dad makes a complete character switch at the end of the book, creating a bunch of fake drama. The romance was... yeesh. It was manipulative and terrible. That's all I'm going to say. ( )

so good. so funny. so charming. ( )

¿Es posible renunciar a lo que más se desea cuando la recompensa puede ser maravillosa?
Bienvenidos a Cala Espinada, un lugar en que las mujeres de salud delicada disfrutan de la brisa del mar y donde los hombres en la flor de la vida… brillan por su ausencia. ¿O no?
Cala Espinada es el destino preferido de cierto tipo de damas bien educadas: muchachas enfermizas, escandalosas o muy tímidas; jóvenes esposas desencantadas con el matrimonio o jovencitas demasiado encantadas con hombres inadecuados. Pero también es un paraíso para los que viven allí.
Victor Bramwell, teniente coronel del Ejército británico, alejado del servicio por una herida de guerra, está dispuesto a cualquier cosa con tal de recuperar su comisión. Incluso a convertirse en el conde de Rycliff y a crear a toda costa una milicia en Cala Espinada. Por supuesto, ese no es lugar para alguien como él; allí solo hay solteras… y ovejas. Aunque también está la exquisita Susanna Finch, una mujer decidida a llevar a cabo su utopía personal y salvar un ejército de damas, reivindicativas, modernas, de las garras de los hombres de Bram.
Se ha declarado la guerra entre los dos bandos y ninguno de ellos está dispuesto a ceder.

Spindle Cove is a haven for women. A haven which is led by Susanna Finch with the goal of providing a safe place for those with delicate constitutions, overbearing family members, scandalous secrets or outlandish hobbies. There are few year round residents and even fewer male ones. Until Bram and his men turn up and are tasked with starting a militia.

I enjoyed this. It was a well written feel good romance with a decent plot, fun setting and swoon worthy relationship. There's nothing overly original but what's there is done well. I loved the schedule the women had. Mondays are country walks, Tuesdays are sea bathing, Wednesdays they work in the garden, Thursdays are for shooting! And Fridays they climb to the castle and picnic, chat, plot, scheme etc. The town is charming and the residents are hilarious.

I really liked Susanna. She was intelligent and fierce and I loved her take charge attitude. I felt sorry for her, losing her mother and then, basically, losing her father, being left with strangers and told off for not being happy and then being bled for getting unhappier. I mean jeez. A weaker person would've broke. Considering she's basically a fully function adult, that's impressive. Mental illness is barely discussed or understood now. And her father is an ass. At least he took her somewhere she could recuperate, but he should've offloaded her in the first place. But different times and all that. I would've liked to see Susanna interact with the females more, it's discussed but not really shown and I would've liked to see a few more scenes with her confiding in them or something.

Bram was interesting. I liked his determination to recover from his leg injury and his reasons for wanting to get back to the front lines of the war. (The last letter he received from his father sympathised how hard it was to write condolence letters to families of the men under his command. His father died a week before he received the letter. Bram is worried that if he is no longer on the front line, his dad will no longer understand and accept him.) I liked his consideration of Susanna, although his outburst when Finn was injured and he dismisses her medical knowledge was pretty rough. Susanna totally should've made him grovel a hell of a lot more. I adored his relationship with the lamb named Dinner! It cracked me up that the lamb kept turning up everywhere.

The relationship between Susanna and Bram was good. I liked that Bram appreciated her intellect and didn't want her to be quiet when she had an opinion. Even if he doesn't agree with it. I loved that Susanna was willing to put him in his place but that she was also willing to let down her guard and let Bram take charge as well. They were both hilarious and they made a great team when they decided to work together and compromise for the best of the town.

I liked Thorne and Finn and Rufus were sweet. Colin was amusing. Minerva was brutal with her rocks. I can't wait to read Colin and Minerva's story. Strong beginning to an interesting series. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. ( )